More Nipah suspects in Kerala

Even as the condition of the youth infected by the Nipah virus at Kochi in Kerala was reported to be improving, specimen collected from five more persons have been sent to the virology institutes in the state as well as to Manipal.

Kerala Health Minister K K Shylajah told the media that chances of fresh cases of Nipah were very remote as timely medical attention was provided to all persons who had shown initial signs itself.

The test results of the suspected patients were expected only by Thursday evening or Friday. The condition of the 23-year-old person undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi with Nipah was improving, she said.

Five persons were admitted to an isolation ward in a government medical college hospital in Kochi, including three nurses who took care of the youths already infected with Nipah and one of his friends.

More persons with fever turned up at the hospitals after the scare in various parts of the state and they were also kept under observation.

The remaining stock of monoclonal antibody tablets procured from Australia during the Nipah outbreak last year, which were stored at the National Institute of Virology in Pune, was already brought to Kochi. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will hold a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the situation.

A worrying factor for the Kerala health authorities is that the sources of the Nipah virus infection in the youth in Kochi could not be traced yet.

A team of state and central health experts examined various places in different districts, including Idukki, Thrissur and Ernakulam, where the youth had travelled over the last few weeks. However, no source of the virus could not be traced. The health officials hope that once the youth's condition improved, more information could be known from him.

The Kerala police registered three cases in this connection with spreading misinformation over social media on Nipah.

According to police sources, the cases were registered at the Central Police station in Kochi on the basis of a report given by Ernakulam district collector.

The cases were registered under section 505 (1) (b) of the Indian Penal Code for committing the act with the intention of creating fear among public and section 118 of Kerala Police Act for spreading rumours and creating panic.

Social media profiles from which the misinformation was spread were traced and the sources and real persons were being tracked with the help of the cyber cell. The three messages were of different natures aimed at creating unnecessary panic among the people.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that stringent action would be taken against spreading misinformation on Nipah.